How I build large scale dioramas! (3 Viewers)

After studying the 1/48 scale mock up I decided to stay with the multi-level idea after all.I think that it is visually more appealing and I like the fact that the flier's backyard is on the highest level as this tends to put more focus on the airplane and main storyline.
It may complicate the landscaping of the backyards but I will deal with that a little further down the road.In the above pic I haven't yet cut the roofline so it looks a little odd ,but it too will show a slight drop just like the foundation line.The joint between each row house will be covered by the evestrough's downspout.The brick will be the same color but the trim will be French Blue.All those windows need to be built and installed.I am planning to put lighting and curtains behind the windows with maybe a half concealed ,shadowy, nosy neighbor looking out upon the scene.This will be down in such a way as not to draw the attention of the viewer except as an afterthought.
 
Backyardflierfacade103.jpg
 
With a small,soft,cheap brush and gray pastels I have worked a little cement color into some of the spaces between the bricks.The abrasive nature of the bricks are really hard on brushes so be aware.
Any unnecessary gray color on the face of the bricks can later be removed using brick colored pastels.

When putting it all together I will do a final weathering of the facade using my old toothbrush and thin acrylic paint spray technique.
 
For those who maybe interested:
I took the rare opportunity to take some really closeup pics of a static display Bleriot XI that usually is hanging from the ceiling at the Canadian Aviation Heritage Center at Montreal.They are changing the prop for a more authentic one of the period. One wing has been removed for convenience.
These are very good reference pics for those wishing to scratchbuild a static or a flying model of this famous airplane.Please note that these pics are for your reference only and may differ significantly from the real airplane.
See my photobucket album CAHC, then click on Bleriot model at CAHC in the sub albums.
 
Wow John, that is a large facade. I take it that that is the 2nd & 3rd building? Amazing work as always.
 
This is a very slow process for a number of reasons.First and foremost is my ambition usually exceeds my energy level.Where I used to be able to work eight hours at a stretch ,I now only work three or four.The repetitive nature of the stuff I am doing now may also have something to do with it. My inability to drop one project for another, before the first one is completed ,could be another factor.When I get tired of building I usually am doing some kind of research instead of actual building.
Why do I mention this? well aging is not something we normally build into our future plans.If you want to get good at this stuff there is definitely a learning curve involved. Better to get most of the steep learning curve part out of the way while we are relatively young.It takes a lot of energy in the beginning to commit oneself to learning something new,energy that may be not be there as we get older.I read somewhere that every man or woman should have at least three careers in their lifetime,the last one beginning in their fifties.Aside from all the usual pressures of life work,family,etc..it has been said that the most creative time in the life of most artists begins during this decade.I guess what I am trying to say is don't rely upon your retirement to get it done.If you feel a need to be artistically creative better start now.
"Whatever you can do or dream you can,begin it.Boldness has genius,power,and magic in it.Begin it now."(Johann Von Goethe)

End of lecture........


In the latest pic you can see the difference between the almost finished brickwork and the newer facade.
Once the basic color is on the face of the facade, the real fun begins.Each brick has to be worked on individually to achieve a nice varied and subtle look.It can really be time consuming but it is worth the extra effort in the end.
The most important thing to remember is that you are essentially working with watercolors (gouache-acrylic) and it is important to use lots of water in your mixes and not get things too dark too quickly.Take full advantage of the transparency of the medium and paint in thin coats to achieve subtle differences in color or intensity.All the colors in the brickwork you see is the result of only one tube color put on in thin layers.
 
JohnReid said:
This is a very slow process for a number of reasons.First and foremost is my ambition usually exceeds my energy level.Where I used to be able to work eight hours at a stretch ,I now only work three or four.The repetitive nature of the stuff I am doing now may also have something to do with it. My inability to drop one project for another, before the first one is completed ,could be another factor.When I get tired of building I usually am doing some kind of research instead of actual building.
Why do I mention this? well aging is not something we normally build into our future plans.If you want to get good at this stuff there is definitely a learning curve involved. Better to get most of the steep learning curve part out of the way while we are relatively young.It takes a lot of energy in the beginning to commit oneself to learning something new,energy that may be not be there as we get older.I read somewhere that every man or woman should have at least three careers in their lifetime,the last one beginning in their fifties.Aside from all the usual pressures of life work,family,etc..it has been said that the most creative time in the life of most artists begins during this decade.I guess what I am trying to say is don't rely upon your retirement to get it done.If you feel a need to be artistically creative better start now.
"Whatever you can do or dream you can,begin it.Boldness has genius,power,and magic in it.Begin it now."(Johann Von Goethe)

End of lecture........


In the latest pic you can see the difference between the almost finished brickwork and the newer facade.
Once the basic color is on the face of the facade, the real fun begins.Each brick has to be worked on individually to achieve a nice varied and subtle look.It can really be time consuming but it is worth the extra effort in the end.
The most important thing to remember is that you are essentially working with watercolors (gouache-acrylic) and it is important to use lots of water in your mixes and not get things too dark too quickly.Take full advantage of the transparency of the medium and paint in thin coats to achieve subtle differences in color or intensity.All the colors in the brickwork you see is the result of only one tube color put on in thin layers.
Click to expand...

Very nice brick work John. The building is going to look awesome. Great work.
Nick
 
My confuser has been down awhile,something about the power supply.
The last pic shows how I will use the two brick facade panels for photography.
Brick facades are common everywhere, so they make great backdrops for a lot of subject matter.The museum will have to wait awhile for this one,I guess.
Speaking about the CAM ,it seems that their building project has been delayed.The money has been approved so I guess that it is just government bureaucracy.
Speaking about museums, I went to the RCAF museum in Trenton Ontario this month.There has been a lot of very nice improvements going on there but the aircraft that are sitting outside still look a lot worse for wear.
 
This is the only figure that I plan to use in this diorama, except for maybe a nosy neighbor peeking out from behind one of the window curtains.
It is the 120mm Guynemer figure from Model Cellar Productions. It is up to their usual fine standards and well worth the price, when compared to some similar quality figures that are on the market.
For my purposes it is just perfect and reflects the mood that I am trying to create in this diorama.Like a lot of my figures it is just the starting point as I foresee having to make lots of changes.Medals to be removed,alterations to the uniform and a new head will be among them .I also plan to put an old duffel bag leaning up against one of his legs.
With all these great figures around to be modified ,my ambition to one day sculpt my own from scratch, keeps getting pushed back further in time.So much to do,so little time!
 
I may keep the head and modify the hat,as I really like his facial expression.The blank stare, as I would call it,fits in with the mood of the piece.The coat over the arm suggests spring or fall which gives me a lot of options when doing the vegetation.I don't want a summer look as all that color would distract attention from the main subject matter,the figure and the airplane.
A muddy backyard would be more common in spring in this part of the world and springtime does symbolize rebirth.Fall on the other hand here in Canada indicates the end of something.
My storyline could go either way,the beginning of something or the end.Will he find a renewed interest in aviation now that he has lost his innocence in the war above the trenches? or will he just scrap the whole idea and go on to a new future and leave all of that behind him?
 
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